Final Report of the Bird Inventory:

Stones River National Battlefield, 2003–2005

Stephen J. Stedman, Ph. D. ¹

Barbara H. Stedman ²

¹ Department of English
Tennessee Technological University
Cookeville, TN 38505

sstedman@tntech.edu

² 2675 Lakeland Dr.
Cookeville, TN 38506

birdsongteam@charter.net

Note: A published version of this report appears in the following source:

Stedman, B. H., and S. J. Stedman. 2007. Bird Inventory at Stones River National

    Battlefield, 2003-2005. The Migrant  78 (2): 45-57.

Table of Contents

List of Tables.........................................................................................................................................................iii

Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................................…iv

Introduction...........................…..............................................................................................................................

Description of Study Site.......…....................…...............................................................................…..........…..

Methods—Bird Inventory Techniques.............................................................................................................….

Results...................................……..........................................................................................................................       

Expected Species List.............……..........…........................................................................................................

Total Species Inventoried…………………………………........................................…………………………...

Breeding Species Inventoried…………………………........................................……………………………….

Species Composition of the Isolated Units.....…….........................................................................................….

Discussion.............................................................................................................................................…..........….

Comparative Effectiveness of Survey Techniques..............…......…............................................….............….

Influence of Weather on Results………………………………….........................................……………………

Description of Bird Diversity in Terms of Estimated and Observed Species Richness...................…….......

Unexpected Results………………………………………………........................................……………….…..

Birds Not Found…………………………………………………………......................................…………..…..

Recommendations for Management and Protection of Significant Habitats…..........................................….

Suitability of Habitat for Persistence of Sensitive Species………………..........................................…..…....

Literature Cited...................................................................….................................................................................

Appendix A: Tables………………………………………………….......……................................……..………

ii

List of Figures

Figure 1.  Barbara H. Stedman inventorying birds at Stones River National Battlefield 17 July
2003 (Stephen J. Stedman).......................................................................................……...............…......cover

Figure 2.  Landcover map of area surrounding Stones River National Battlefield........................................

List of Tables

Table 1.  Species, status, seasonal abundance, and breeding category of birds observed
at Stones River National Battlefield,  Rutherford County, Tennessee, 2003-2005……...............…............

Table 2.  Species registered during point counts conducted at 15 stops
(10 minutes each) during 2003 and 2004. ……………….................………………………….....…..............

iii

Acknowledgments

All members of the Resource Management staff at STRI—including Gib Backlund, Dwayne Coleman, Terri Hogan, Kyle Hurt, Nathan Singer, Mark Smith, and Laurel Temmen—were interested in and contributed to the bird inventory, often going beyond our expectations throughout the duration of the project.  The staff greatly assisted our efforts initially by helping us locate the point count plots; they then maintained these plots for ease of access throughout the project.  All members of the staff expressed interest in learning about the birds of STRI and on their own began educating themselves about the appearance and songs of common birds.  They also showed appreciation for the relationship between birds and habitat.  Finally, they provided bird sightings to us; one of these was the only record at STRI for that species (Common Goldeneye).  Kudos to the Resource Management staff at STRI.

We would especially like to thank Terri Hogan, Ecologist, for her dedication to the bird inventory project.  She took many calls from us at home during non-working hours.  She asked many questions of us about managing habitats effectively for birds and wildlife.  She has for some time overseen a program to bring back the cedar glades of STRI to their former natural state, which has benefited the birds of the park.  Additionally, she has taken effective steps to introduce a burn control program for grassland and shrub areas of the park, and she has participated in the task of converting “sterile for birds” cropland to native grasslands in the park.  Her extraordinary attitude toward managing the land for its wild qualities is an inspiration.  We have learned much by working with her.

STRI Superintendent Stuart Johnson deserves special thanks because of his enlightened approach to land management, especially his willingness to convert much cropland in the park to native grasslands.  His support of managed burn control in the park will also benefit wildlife considerably.  We hope the superintendents of other battlefields in the NPS system will follow his lead.

We are greatly indebted to the staff of the Center for the Management, Utilization, and Protection of Water Resources at Tennessee Technological University for high quality management of the fiscal paperwork associated with this bird inventory.  Director Dennis George, Sandra Pigg, Yvette Clark, Amy Knox and especially Glenda Sharks and Mary Williford, contributed much to our success.

Finally, we are especially grateful to Teresa Leibfreid, Inventory and Monitoring Coordinator for the Cumberland Piedmont Network of the NPS, for her dedication and support throughout the duration of this bird inventory.  Thanks, Teresa.

iv

Final Report of Bird Inventory: Stones River National Battlefield, 2003-2005

Introduction

            Stones River National Battlefield (STRI) is located in northwest Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, in Middle Tennessee.  Established in 1927, the battlefield commemorates the Battle of Stones River and is actively managed by the National Park Service as a historic park.  Although the Battle of Stones River occurred on nearly 1550 hectares (4000 acres), STRI comprises only about 262 hectares (647 acres) of mixed hardwood forests, cedar thickets, limestone cedar glades, old fields, mowed grass fields, and agricultural fields.  Because a rapidly growing community surrounds the park, STRI potentially serves as a refuge for flora and fauna representative of dwindling middle Tennessee native ecosystems. The purpose of this study was 1) to inventory the bird species that occur at STRI; and 2) to indicate the status and relative seasonal abundance of documented species.

Description of Study Site

Stones River National Battlefield is located in Rutherford County, Tennessee, approximately 48 km southeast of
Nashville.STRI lies within the Inner Central Basin (ICB) ecoregion of the Interior Low Plateau Physiographic Province
(Fennema1938, Griffith et al. 1997).  The ICB is characterized by low relief; elevation seldom exceeds 200 m.  The soils
and vegetative features of the ICB and STRI have been described elsewhere (Kuchler 1964; Springer and Elder 1980; Hogan and Webber 1999).  Permanent and intermittent streams of the ICB have a low to moderate gradient and often have a rock-rubble or limestone bedrock substrate (Etnier and Starnes 1993).  The current authorized boundary of STRI encompasses 288 ha (712 acres) and consists of six disjunct units (National Park Service 1998), including the Main Battlefield Park (MB), the Artillery Monument (AM), Fortress Rosecrans (FR), Redoubt Brannan (RB), and the headquarters sites for Generals Bragg and Rosecrans.

Figure 2. Landcover map of area surrounding Stones River National Battlefield. 

         The MB encompasses 191 ha, making it the largest of the units.  With the exception of the Stones River National Cemetery, three agricultural fields that are actively planted and harvested, and six fields dominated by native and non-native grasses, the MB is wooded and undeveloped.   Upland hardwood forests dominate the wooded areas; except following rains, these forests are quite dry.  The forest type is represented by dry to mesic oak and oak-hickory forests and oak-dominated forests with a strong Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginia) component (Hogan and Weber 1999).  Approximately 24 ha of cedar glades and barrens are also found at the MB (National Park Service 1998).  The glades are openings in stands of Eastern Red Cedar where the soil over the Ridley Limestone is shallow, precluding permanent invasions by trees (National Park Service 1998).  Old-field communities dominate some areas and are primarily composed of weedy herbaceous vegetation with scattered woody species (Hogan and Webber 1999).  Several mowed grass fields up to 300 m wide also border the MB, providing habitat for several grassland species. An assortment of rock outcroppings, sinkholes, and sinkhole caves also dot the landscape.

            The AM lies east of U.S. HWY 41 and includes a short stretch (c. 0.5 km) of the West Fork of the Stones River.  The AM, encompassing 48 ha of STRI (supplemented in 2004 by purchase of additional acreage composed of grassland and riparian woods), is composed largely of open field habitats, including a reintroduced native grass field (2002) and several large fields with weedy and woody herbaceous vegetation.  Other habitats found at this unit include floodplain forests, such as those found along the Stones River and The Nature Conservancy tract, that are dominated by hackberry (Celtis spp.), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), box elder (Acer negundo), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and cottonwood (Populus deltoides) (Hogan and Webber 1999).  This unit also hosts a permanent pond community known as King Pond.  A large population of greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) dominates the open water of this small (c. 0.4 ha), shallow pond (Hogan and Webber 1999).  The pond attracts an assortment of wildlife, such as the White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianicus) and several species of birds, including Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa). An additional pond and wetland is located in an old quarry at the AM.  Also, two agricultural fields and some large weedy fields are located at the AM.  Some notably large trees are found in the fencerows of this site.

            The FR unit lies on 10 ha and supports the remnants of the original earthworks of Lunette Palmer, Curtain Wall no. 2, and Lunette Thomas.  These earthworks are actively managed for native warm season grasses, such as broomsedge (Andropogon spp.) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans).  This site also contains a 0.965 km interpretive trail that encircles the earthworks; during 2004-2005 an extensive raised boardwalk was constructed to protect the earthworks.   At FR, Lytle Creek flows into an impoundment that overflows into the West Fork of the Stones River.  The wooded rock outcroppings host mixed hardwood species, such as oak (Quercus spp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.), hackberry (Celtis spp.), and elm (Ulmus spp.), as well as exotic shrub species, such as Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense) and bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii).  The area around the parking lot was landscaped about 2002 with native shrubs and herbaceous plants. Several large mowed grass areas are present in this unit also.

            The 2.1-ha RB unit also contains earthworks and an interpretive trail.  Boardwalks have been built over the earthworks to protect them; native vegetation has been added to many areas within this site.  Below the earthworks, a floodplain forest is adjacent to the West Fork of the Stones River. Rock outcroppings and small rock bluffs are characteristic of the upland area.  A small pond is located near the floodplain forest but is not on battlefield property. 

            General Bragg’s and General Rosecrans' headquarters units encompass 0.26 and 0.10 ha, respectively.  These areas, each well groomed and maintained as lawn by the park staff, were included in this inventory.

Methods--Bird Inventory Techniques

             Point counts were the most regimented method of collecting breeding bird data at this NPS unit.  Fifteen pointcounts were conducted during late May in each of two years, 2003 and 2004.  The protocol for these counts entailed standing at the center of a 100-meter diameter plot and counting all birds heard and seen for 10 minutes; birds were recorded as occurring at one of four distance intervals (< 25 m; 25-50 m; 50-100 m; and >100 m) or as flyovers; birds were also recorded as occurring within one of three temporal intervals (0-3 min; 3-5 min; 5-10 min) (Hamel 1992; Hamel et al. 1996).  Any birds flushed during approach to the plot center were included among the birds recorded at the point.  Birds counted at one point were not counted if detected at an adjacent point.  All birds seen or heard were recorded on a special point count data form.  All point count data are provided in a supplemental Excel file included with this report. Additionally, a Word file describing the location of each of the fifteen points is also included.

            A second method used to gather data about the birds of this site was the migration walk.  During spring and fall, these walks were conducted 3-4 times per season.  The walks typically lasted 1-2 hours and covered a distance of about 1.5 km through habitat considered to have potential for harboring migrant birds.  All species seen or heard were recorded on a standard field card.

            A third method used to gather data about the birds of the site was the raptor survey.  These surveys were undertaken during fall and early winter.  Typically, the survey lasted 2-4 hours during late morning.  A route was driven by automobile along all the roads of the unit, usually totaling about 15 km.  All raptors (and shrikes) detected were included in the resulting data.  All species seen or heard were recorded on a standard field card.

            A fourth method of gathering bird data at this site was the night survey, a somewhat informal method entailing the use of tape-recorded owl calls to elicit responses from owls at the site.  Besides owls, nightjars were also detected by night surveys during summer; woodcocks at all seasons; and Grasshopper Sparrows during spring and summer.  All species seen or heard were recorded on a standard field card, sometimes in conjunction with data obtained using the following method.

            The fifth and last method of obtaining bird data at this site in all seasons was the general inventory, involving less regimented efforts to visit all types of habitat within this NPS unit during the course of a day and to keep track of all species sighted.  In particular the many grasslands of the park were walked in all seasons to prompt birds to flush so they could be identified. During the breeding period for birds, which includes most of the spring and summer, the general inventory included efforts to detect breeding evidence for all species breeding in the unit.  All species seen or heard and all breeding evidence observed were recorded on a standard field card.

            Data obtained during migration walks, raptor surveys, night surveys, and general inventory surveys are provided in a supplemental Excel file submitted with this report.

  Results

Expected Species List

            The species expected to occur in this park include many listed in Birds of the Nashville Area (Parmer et al. 1985; most recent internet version found at: http://www.mindspring.com/~tnwarbler/NTOS/Species%20Accounts.htm), which covers nine counties in and around Nashville, including all of Rutherford County, where STRI is located.  About 315 species have been recorded in the Nashville area over the course of the past 90 years by hundreds of observers.  Many of these are associated with two large lakes--Old Hickory Lake and Percy Priest Lake--or with wetland habitat found along the Cumberland River, especially in Cheatham County.  Similar habitats are lacking at STRI, so one would expect few species associated with these habitats to occur there. If one deducts such species from the overall species list in Parmer’s work, perhaps 210 species remain.
Total Species Inventoried
             During the inventory period, Barbara Stedman made visits to the unit on a total of 34 days during all seasons of the year.  In
the course of these visits she observed 150 species (Table 1) by one or more of the methods described above. Also, 2 species
were registered by NPS personnel (Common Goldeneye) or by visitors (Bald Eagle) to the park during the inventory period.  The
total of 152 species detected during the two-year inventory represents 72% of the 210 species that might be expected to occur
within the site.  Several factors prevented this percentage from being higher.  Among these factors should certainly be included the
fact that the battlefield is surrounded on all sides by roads and railroad tracks carrying a high volume of motorized and rail traffic;
collectively, these transportation facilities encroach closely on the battlefield borders, perhaps discouraging use of the battlefield by
some species of birds and certainly limiting how well bird vocalizations can be heard from within the battlefield boundaries.  Urban
development also closely approaches the battlefield boundaries in many areas around the battlefield and probably inhibits the
presence of some bird species.

Breeding Species Inventoried

            Evidence of breeding by species using the unit was divided into three categories: possible evidence; probable evidence;

and confirmed evidence. In all, 80 species (Table 1) were placed in one of these categories, including 21 (26%) possible

 breeders, 25 (31%) probable breeders, and 34 (43%) confirmed breeders.

            Point counts were conducted during the breeding period of many species. A total of 56 species was registered during point counts conducted during 2003, while 55 species were detected during point counts conducted in 2004.  In all, point count effort led to data for 66 species of birds (Table 2), nearly all of which use STRI during most breeding seasons. Detailed data from the point counts are provided in a supplemental Excel file submitted in conjunction with this report.

Species Composition of the Isolated Units

Generally speaking, the larger and more diverse in habitat a site is, the larger the number of bird species that will be found in it.  This rule of thumb was generally borne out by the data obtained during this survey; i.e., the largest subunits of STRI—the main battlefield and the artillery monument—tended to support the greatest number of species, while Fortress Rosecrans supported a smaller number, and the Redoubt Brannan and the headquarters for Generals Bragg and Rosecrans the smallest numbers.

Discussion

Comparative Effectiveness of Survey Techniques

Each of the five survey techniques used for this inventory was effective for its purpose, but in terms of generating the largest number of species per unit of time expended, the general inventory was probably the most effective, followed by the migration walk and the point count (for breeding species only).  Due to their restricted emphasis, night surveys and raptor surveys generated fewer species per unit of time expended than these other survey techniques.

Influence of Weather on Results

An effort was made to visit STRI during periods when the weather was conducive for registering the maximum number of species during general inventory work, migration walks, point counts, night surveys, and raptor surveys, so the influence of weather on the results of the overall inventory was generally positive. However, the spring and fall seasons occurring during the inventory period were characterized by a general lack of very strong frontal passages that oftentimes produce “fall-outs” of migrant species in large numbers and diversity; lack of such fronts probably reduced the overall species total achieved by the inventory somewhat.

In May and June of each year of the inventory, rainfall was much greater than average, resulting in high water or flooding in the Stones River. In years when such conditions are not present, species such as Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, and Louisiana Waterthrush may be present along the river in greater abundance than during the years of the inventory period.

The two winter seasons of the inventory period were fairly mild, causing a few records of lingering migrants and breeders, but neither winter was notable as an irruption winter for boreal species such as Rough-legged Hawk, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Tree Sparrow, and Evening Grosbeak.  When such winters occur in the future, these and perhaps other boreal irruptives might be found within the battlefield.

Description of Bird Diversity in Terms of Estimated and Observed Species Richness

As a result of a number of factors--including agricultural use of much of the battlefield’s property, the relatively small size of the battlefield, the battlefield’s being subdivided into many even smaller parcels, and the encroachment of a growing town around the edges of the battlefield--species richness in the park was initially not estimated to be high.  Given these factors, species richness as determined by the results of the inventory is moderately good, and it might be improved if some changes in the maintenance of the battlefield are instituted.

            Species that use grassland and shrub-scrub habitats were well represented in the battlefield.  Their populations may be

further increased by shifting of all leased fields from soybean to native grasslands, some of which could be allowed to grow up into

early shrub-scrub habitat before being burned or mowed. [Note: This shift in field use began during spring 2005 following the

inventory period.]

Unexpected Results

The relatively dense population of Grasshopper Sparrows in the grasslands of the parks was a somewhat unexpected and desirable result of the inventory.  The detection of Bewick’s Wren and Lark Sparrow was also somewhat unexpected, given the limited appropriate habitat for each remaining in the unit.   Also somewhat unexpected was the presence of Chuck-will’s-widows within the battlefield, as was the presence of two nesting pairs of Red-tailed Hawks and a likely pair of Cooper’s Hawks.  The summer record of White-throated Sparrow was quite unexpected. The field and shrub-scrub habitat within the battlefield units harbored unexpectedly dense breeding populations of some species of songbirds with declining populations in Tennessee and the Southeast, including Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Eastern Towhee, and Field Sparrow.  During winter this habitat was also used in greater than expected numbers by flocks of robins, pipits, sparrows, and blackbirds.

Birds Not Found

Few regularly occurring species were entirely absent from the battlefield, but two species—Barred Owl and Pileated Woodpecker—were detected in much lesser density than initially expected.  After inventorying the site, we see that suitable habitat for them is marginal in the battlefield and their scarcity understandable; most likely the park is too small and too close to urban elements to support Barred Owls, which require large tracts of older trees for breeding; as the area of the park along the river near the AM matures (and possibly increases in extent), Pileated Woodpeckers may become more abundant there than they now are.

            Warblers were generally present in smaller numbers as breeders than was initially expected to be the case, but habitat for most of them is also limited or absent.

Recommendations for Management and Protection of Significant Habitats

The grassland and cedar glade habitats of the park deserve attention; the continued expansion of the former habitat by conversion of cropland to native grassland and the maintenance of the latter are recommended management strategies in the future. During spring of 2004 the Resource Management Office began the process of transferring lands previously leased to native grass fields; we urge the Resource Management Office to continue this process.  The native grassfields should be maintained by annual burning or use of a bushhog during late winter and early spring.  Maximum benefit to birds would be obtained if this work were to be accomplished February 1-March 15 or August 15-September 1; it is crucial not to perform this work during the Grasshopper Sparrow’s breeding period, which typically begins about mid-April and extends into mid-August.

Special emphasis should be placed on maintaining as much acreage as possible in shrub-scrub habitat, as this habitat is vital to many declining songbird species that breed in it, and it is also vital to the post-fledging success of many songbird species that breed in nearby forested areas.  Shrub-scrub habitat should ideally be maintained in the range of 1-3 meters; such maintenance can often be performed at the same time that maintenance of grass fields is performed.

Controlled burns might be employed to open the very dense undergrowth in the deciduous forests of the main installation and the AM; opening of the understory would encourage woodpeckers, Wood Thrushes, and some species of warblers.

As many standing dead snags as possible should be left in the park, as these encourage the presence of Pileated Woodpeckers and many other cavity-building and cavity-using species.  Plantings of American holly might also encourage Pileated Woodpeckers, as well as migrant thrushes.  Pokeberry is a good plant to encourage, as it provides berries to numerous species of birds and other wildlife.

Development of a wetland at the AM within the old quarry area would broaden species diversity at all seasons.  Ducks, herons, rails, Sedge Wrens, and Henslow’s and Le Conte’s sparrows are species that might occur.  Breeding warblers that might benefit from such a wetland include Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, and possibly others, such as American Redstart and Kentucky and Hooded Warblers.

            If any woodlands are cleared in the battlefield in the future, consideration should be given to leaving large slash-piles to decompose naturally; these slash-piles may attract breeding Bewick’s Wrens, a much diminished species that still retains a small population in Rutherford County.  Wood debris piles placed near cannons and grassy area may be even more encouraging to Bewick’s Wrens, which used such areas at Shiloh National Military Park and Chickamauga National Battlefield.

Suitability of Habitat for Persistence of Sensitive Species

The fairly extensive grasslands within the battlefield will probably allow a breeding population of Grasshopper Sparrows to persist.  Areas of wet grassy fields might also encourage the presence of Henslow’s and Le Conte’s sparrows during migration.

Literature Cited

Etnier, D.A., and W.C. Starnes.  1993.  The Fishes of Tennessee.  The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville.  680 p.

Fenneman, N.  1938.  Physiography of the eastern United States.  McGraw-Hill Company, Inc., New York.  714 pp.

Griffith, G. E., J. M. Omernik, and S. Azevedo.  1997.  Ecoregions of Tennessee.  EPA/600/R-97/022.  NHREEL, Western Ecological Region, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon.

Hamel, P. B.  1992. The Land Manager’s Guide to Birds of the South. The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service, Atlanta, Georgia.

Hamel, P. B., W. P. Smith, D. J. Twedt, J. R. Woehr, E. Morris, R. B. Hamilton, and R. J. Cooper. 1996. A Land Manager’s Guide to Point Counts of Birds in the Southeast. Gen. Tech. Rep. SO-120. New Orleans, LA: U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 39 pp.

Hogan, T. L., and M. Webber.  1999.  Vascular flora of Stones River National Battlefield including notes on natural communities and rare species.  Unpublished report for Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  95 pp.

Küchler, A. W. 1964. Potential natural vegetation of the conterminous United States: a map and manual.  American Geographical Society Special Publication 36.  Princeton Polychrome Press, Princeton, NJ. 116 p.

National Park Service.  1998.  Final general management plan/Development concept plan?Environmental impact Statement.

        Unpublished report developed for Stones River National Battlefield, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  330 p.

Parmer, H. E., et al. 1985.  Birds of the Nashville Area. 4^th ed. Nashville Chapter, Tennessee Ornithological Society, Nashville, Tennessee.

Springer, M. E., and J. A. Elder.  1980.  Soils of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee, Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin 596, Knoxville.  66 p.

Appendix A: Tables

Table 1.  Species, status, seasonal abundance, and breeding category of birds observed at Stones River National Battlefield, Rutherford County, Tennessee, from 17 April 2003 through 28 April 2005.  * = possible breeding evidence noted; ** = probable breeding evidence noted; *** = confirmed breeding evidence noted. Key to abbreviations: PR = permanent resident; SR = summer resident; TR = transient; UN = Unknown; VR = visitor; WR = winter resident; UN = unknown status; C = common; FC = fairly common; U = uncommon; VU = very uncommon; R = rare.

Table 2.  Species registered during point counts conducted at 15 stops (10 minutes each) during 2003 and 2004. Greater detail about the results of these point counts is provided in the Excel file that supplements this report.